THE BALTIMORE BULLET
US, 1980, 103 minutes, Colour.
James Coburn, Omar Sharif, Bruce Boxleitner, Ronee Blakley, Calvin Lockhart.
Directed by Robert Ellis Miller.
The Baltimore Bullet is a film about pool hustlers. It is reminiscent of The Hustler (many critics thought the parallels too close) but the film does not have the earlier film's dramatic impact. Instead, The Baltimore Bullet seems to be a confrontation between James Coburn and Omar Sharif with some gangster and drug sub-plots added in.
The stars are their usual selves. Bruce Boxleitner (Scarecrow and Mrs King, Tron) is an engaging pool novice. Ronee Blakly comes in with some songs. Calvin Lockhart is a drug dealer and Jack O'Halloran is a giant sized hood. The film incorporates a lot of local colour.
Direction is by Robert Ellis Miller (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Buttercup Chain, Girl From Petrovka, Reuben Reuben).
1. An enjoyable piece of Americana? A film about gambling? Gangsters?
2. Location photography, New Mexico, Hem Orleans? Local colour - the jazz funeral etc.? The atmosphere of poolrooms? Prisons? Drug dealing? Musical score? Ronee Blakly's songs?
3. The title and the dynamic thrust of the title? Verified in the file?
4. The focus on Nick Casey? Pool champion? Winning cups? Wanting money? The desire to challenge the Deacon? The trip to New Orleans? His refusal to play Nick? His wanting Nick to win in Johnson City? The huge money stake? Nick and Bill following him? Their hustling to raise the money? Billie Joe losing the money at poker? Billie Joe and the drug entanglement with Snow White? Nick rescuing him, taking Snow White's money? Carolina Red and her childhood crush on Nick? Johnson City, the pool competition? The irony of the Deacon being pursued by Max? Max threatening Nick with death because he bet on Billie Joe? The complications with Max's arrest? Nick beating Billie Joe (despite Billie Joe's urging him to lose)? Nick and the Deacon finally playing their game for a high stake? Nick winning? James Coburn's grinning style?
5. Omar Sharif, the champion, the nickname, buying his way out of jail? his aloofness from Nick? The entanglement with Max? The Deacon having Max jailed? Max and his bets? The Deacon using the Senator to get rid of Max? The final game and the Deacon's defeat? Omar Sharif's grinning style?
6. Billie Joe and his enthusiasm, a junior Nick, hustling with him, admiring him, sharing the adventures, the poker games and the loss of the money, the dealings with Snow White, the violence and the danger, the encounter with Max, trying to beat Nick, the finale? Billie Joe's becoming Hick in a couple of years?
7. Carolina Red, her father, the poolrooms, the crush on Nick, Billie Joe's attentions? Her travelling with the group? Ronee Blakly's song?
8. Snow White and the drug dealers, money, violence?
9. Max as the giant gangster, imprisonment, getting out, revenge on the Deacon, betting on Billie Joe, his arrest?
10. The portrait of poolroom players? Barflies? People betting? Drug dealers? An authentic background?
11. The screenplay and its cliches, innuendo, corn? A piece of gambling Americana?
